Material-treating machine



June 17, 1930. M SOULE MATERIAL TREATING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1927 v gwue-nto'c $3- Ill/l abbot-nu Patented June 17 1930 UNITED mm. parent Orr-Ice GEORfi E II.- S OULE, F CLEVELAND, OHIO ASSIGIFOB TO THE DOMESTIC ELECTRIC,"

' COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORFORATION OF OHIO iimrnmAL-rnmrme Macrame Application filed June 8, 1827. Serial No. 197,801.

This invention relates to material mixing, dlsintegratmg or homogenizing machines,

- and' particularly to a machine adaptable for use as a commercial drink mixer for preparing soda fountain types of drinks, or as a domestic appliance for similar purposes.

It has been found that when a conglomerate or partial mixtureof, different liquidsor a similar mixture of liquids and comparatively easily dissoluble solids is passed between two comparatively smooth closely adjacent noncontacting surfaces, moved as by rotation, past each other at high velocity,

say 10,000 to"-1 5,000 R. P.-'M., such partial mixturanay lie-quickly converted into a homogeneous liquid mass. The present machine uses this principle of operation and comprises essentially a rotor element and a stator element together with a suitable casing arranged to conduct the material to be mixed, or otherwise treated, to between the rotor and stator surfaces and conducting the mixed or. treated material away from such'surfaces.

In the use of such a machine for mixing drinks, one of the'problems thathas arisen is that of cleaning the machine of material, such as fruit pulp, seeds or the like which by reason of their indissolubility and the close proximity of the surfaces, will not pass between the surfaces, but which stay in the receiving chamber of the machine. All object of the invention is to so arrange the ma chine that it may be readily and accurately operated for cleaning without being taken apart, and easily and accurately readjusted after the cleaning operation.

It has previously been proposed to axially move the rotor element to thus separate the surface sufficiently to allow the pulp, etc. to be flushed out past the surfaces, but. this has several disadvantages, For example, the rotor is usually well inside the casing and is therefore hard to get at; In the present invention cleaning is accomplished by moving a part of the casing with reference to another part in such manner that the surfaces are substantially separated, therelation of the casing parts being Such thatthis movement is immaterial so far as retaining material in the casing is concerned. I

Further objects include the provision of a mixing 'or disintegrating machine of the general character shown, which will be simple tomanufacture, easily and uickly adjusted for cleaning purposes and justed to minutely vary the distance between the rotor and stator surfaces to enable the machine to eifectivelyoperate on materials of different character. I

In these machines it is old to provide pre liminary disintegrating and agitating means in the material receiving chamber portion of the casing to partially disintegrate solid material before the material'reaches the rotor and stator surfaces and to partially mix the difi'erent ingredients. The usual arrangement consists of lateral projections on a shaft rigid with the rotor. A further objcct is to provide a device in connection with the material receiving chamber, in which the arrangement of elements will oppose'the natural tendency of the whirling material to climb the walls of the chamber,

easily adand which will forcibly-urge the material side elevation of the. machine showing a modification with respect to the means for separating the rotor and stator surfaces for clean ng; Fig. 3 is a \transverse sectional view as indicated by the line on Fig. 2,'and Fig. 41 is a fragmentaryyiew similar to Fig.1 showing a modlfied arrangement of rotor and stator surfaces.

Referring in detail to the drawing 1 is the 100 forms the receivin general frame of the machine, shown as comprising a hollow casting having a base 2 adapted to rest on a table or counter, the portion 3 of the base being extended to su port a receptacle, such as indicated at The castin has upper and lower hollow portions 4 an 5, the former serving as the discharging chamber for mixed materials and the latter as a housing for an electric. motor disposed below the discharge chamber. The armature of such motor is shown at 20, the shaft being extended as at 21. The hollow portions 4 and 5 are divided b a transverse wall 6 having its upper sur ace 7- inclined downwardly at a rather steep angle toward the side of the discharge spout 8,

shown as formed integrally with the hollow' portion 4 and projecting downwardly therefrom over the base portion 3. The end of the spout may have transverse webs as at 8 for, acting on the-mixed material which naturally travels down the spout in a rapidly whirling condition, imparted to it by the rotor. The webs serve to overcome this condition.

The rotorsurface 22 is supported by a rotor member 23 attached to the motor shaft, as will be presently shown, and the stator surface '10 is carried by an annular portion 11 of the casing member .12 which chamber for material to be mixed or disintegrated. The receiving chamber is formed similar to a funnel at the top, and the annular portion 11 has a skirt-like portion 13 arranged to enter the partially cylindrical bore 14 at the top ofthe main casing portion 4. The stator surface 10 is normally positioned very close to the cooperating surface 22 on the rotor 23, but does not contact therewith. As shown the mixing or disintegrating surfaces are generally planular and Wlll be more fully discussed later.

The preferred means for quickly separatin the rotor and stator surfaces for cleaning comprises comparatively steep coarse threads 15 engaging complementary threads formed in the casi above the cylindrical bore 14. T us, by giving the member 12 a partial turn the surfaces 10 and 22 will be considerably separated. When the surfaces are thus separrated the machine may be flushed out and thus cleaned, sim ly by throwing a quantity of cleansing flui into the member 12 while the motor is operating. The above mentioned preliminary disintegrating means, to

be later referred to in detail, assists in the cleaning operation, as will be obvious from.

ins tion of Fi .1.

or adjustab y limiting the downward movement of the member 12, I preferably provide an outwardly extending flange 16 arran d to contact with an adjustable abutmentring 17, threadedas at 18 on exportion 4.

the bottom of the stub shaft is a dental movement when once it is properly adjusted. Suitable graduations may be provided on the portion 4 of the casing and on the locking ring 19, as shown at 4 and 19" in Fig. 4, or other convenient indicating means may be used.

The threads 15 should be determined, as to their inclination with reference to the direction of rotation of the motor because if the rotation of the member 12in bringing the surfaces toward each other, is'the same as the direction of the rotation of the motor; then when once the flange 16 is seated on-the ring 17 the frictional dra transmitted through the material fed etween the surfaces from the rotor to the stator will simply tend to further seat the flange on the abutment rin The use of fine threads at 18 and coarse %therefore steeper) threads as at 15, has this advantage, namely, that when turning the member 12 to raise the stator surface the flange does not tend to drag the ring 17 along with it which might otherwise disturb the adjustment.

vides for keeping the shaft 27 and the s aft 25 in alignment and also acts as a locking member to hold the rotor solidly onto the motor shaft. The stub shaft 27 serves to support the preliminary disintegrating and agitating means which as shown comprises suitable projections, one bein indicated at 32. The shaft 27' may also ave members similar to threads,-such as 34 to urge material downwardly toward the rotor. Near in 35 passing through the shaft and positioned close to the top surface of the rotor for forcibly throwing material outwardly toward the gap between the rotor and stator surfaces:

To utilize the whirling condition of the material in the receiving chamber (due to ing chamber. The hei ht, de ree of inch-- nationand spacing of t e ribs is determined ling element 61 arranged to be depressed mixtures. The walls of the receiving chamber ,memb e r may be formed to provide a restriction as at 41 above the projections 32, the chamber becoming larger below the restriction and then converging at the bottom. When the receiving chamber is charged with material and the motor started, the material will be rapidly churned by the ,members 32, wherefore'it will cling to the inside surfaces of the chamber. The re- 15 striction 41 will assist in overcoming the tendenc of the whirlingmaterial to climb the wal s of the chamber, while the ribs act on the outermost portion of the rapidly revolving mass of material'to urge the material downwardly toward the rotor and stator surfaces. The suction generated by the surfaces themselves, due to centrifugal force /is of course a very active element in feeding the material. A convenient means for preventing material in the discharge chamber, namely, within the casing portion 4, from following the shaft, consists in provldingan upwardly extending tubular member 50 surrounding the shaft 25. To reduce friction on the shaft the tube is in spaced relation to the shaft as at 51. It will be. noted. that this spaced apart relation continues alon the shaft to a point 'ust above the upper earing 52 for the sha t. The top of the tube 50 is positioned close to the bottom surfaces of the hub of the rotor, or moreproperly to the into the motor because of the action of centrifugal force on' any-medium disposed between the top surface of the tube 50 and the adjacent surface of the washer. To prevent the suction thus induced from draining oil from the bearing I provide an air inlet opening at 53 above the bearing. The air projected into the discharge chamber assists in dislodging the mixed material from the chamber. This would be unnecessary, if the material were always thin, but when the inaterial is thick or sticky it becomes important. Suitable means for controlling the motor may comprise a switch having a controltoward the motor housing against a spring (not shown) in order to operate the motor. To conveniently operate the switch either by hand or by manipulation of the material receiving receptacle G, I provide a lever 62- having its upper end 63 arranged to contact with the controlling element 61 and having its lower end projecting forwardly as at 6.5. 35.togaj llQSltion:beneath zthereceptacle. With may simply press downwardl this arrangement, as the operator places the receptacle under the discharge spout 8, he with it on the end of the lever, carrying it into a suitable recess 67 in the base portion 2, thus startingthe motor. When the receptacle is removed, the motor will automatically stop.

The particular form and arrangement of the mixing or disintegrating surfaces, is immaterial so far as the above described mechanism is concerned, since obviously any shape or arrangement of material treating surfaces may be used, such as are well known in this art. However, my improved arrangement of mixing surfaces includes one or more slight grooves on one or both of the material treating surfaces preferably on the rotor. As shown, a single. outward spiral order to increase the frictional drag on the material as the centrifugal force increases.

The two closel positioned surfaces will act 'on the materia to move it outwardly toward the periphery of'the rotor but at the same time the spiral groove prolongs the mixing or disintegrating operation. This arrangement or its equivalent is especially useful on the general type of surfaces shown since with the planular surfaces the centrifugal force is greater. than with almost any other shape, assuming of coursesubstantially the same areas and diameters. In the case of two smooth planular mixing surfaces ofthe' comparative size shown, the mixing operation would ordinarily be exceedingly rapid but by reason of the groove or grooves, additional capillary attraction on the material results; and *because the groove or grooves travel inwardly, there is in addition considerable actual shearing force acting to and -in tearing solid and semi-solid materials apart, so well as-to hold back the film of material against the action of centrifugal force.

A modified form of separating means for the rotor and stator surfaces, is shown'in Figs. 2 and 3 wherein 80 indicates a bailhinged as at 81 to the housing portion 4, and

having connections with the annular porating position, may comprise an eye bolt 85 pivoted at 86 and'having a thumb nut 87" adapted'toengagethe top of the bail and clamp it in itshlowered position. The shank material treating surfaces. In this form the material is first fed straight downwardly from the bottom of the receiving chamber to the main material treating surfaces through a constant gap 92, this gap determining the size of particles which may be fed between the material treating surfaces, irrespective of the adjustment between the latter surfaces.

To guide the material into the gap, the sides of the material receivingchamber may slope inwardly as at '94 and the rotor may join the shaft 27 in a cone shape as at 95.

I claim 1. In a machine of the class described, a

stationary housing member, a rotor in axially fixed relation to and supported by the housing, said rotor having a circular surface, an axially movable housing member comprismg a chamber and supporting a surface'com plementary to the rotor surface and slightly spaced therefrom, and adjustable means interposed between the housing members for fine adjustment between the said surfaces including an abutment rigid with one housing member and an adjusting member cooperable with the abutment-and in threaded engagement with the other housing member.

2. In a mixing machine, an axially movable tubular member, a stationary tubular support, a rotor and means for driving it carried by the support, circular surfaces supported by the rotor and tubular member in close non-contacting relation, the tubular member being in coarse threaded engagement with the support to effect the relative axial movement, and means in fine threaded engagement with one of the said tubular elementsarranged to act as a stop againstsuch' relative movement in one direction to minutely govern the distance between the said surfaces.

3. In a machine of the class described, a stationary housing member, a movable housing member adjacent thereto and in telescoping engagement therewith, a circular mixing surface supported by one of said members, a rotor and means supported by the other housing member for driving the rotor, the rotorv having a mixing surface in close noncontacting relation to thefirst mentioned surface, a connection between said housing 'members including an inclined recess one member and a tongue carried by the other and engaging the recess, whereby turning movement of the movable housing member in one direction separates said mixing surfaces,

a rotor having a complementary material treating surface, a casing supportin the stator and formed to provide a 'cham er, a shaft extending into the chamber and connected to the rotor for driving it, means rigid with the casing and surrounding the shaft in spaced relation thereto, said means presenting a laterally extending surface, means carried by the shaft and having a late'rally extending surface in close non-contacting relation to the said surface of the first named means, a bearing for theshaft carried by the casing and means providing an air inlet to the space between the shaft and first named means, whereby oil or the like will not be drawn from the bearing into the chamber by the relative rotation between the laterally extending surfaces.

5. In a drink mixer, a tubular casing formed to provide an open inlet at the top and a discharge'outlet at the bottom, mlxing means disposed intermediate the upper and lower ends of the casing, including rotor and stator elements with thelr adjacent surfaces in close non-contacting relation, a

shaft for driving the rotor, means extending V upwardly from the rotor and driven thereby and laterally extending projections carried by the shaft for agitating and disintegrating material contained in the upper portion of the casing, and inwardly projecting means extending about the walls of the casing above the agitating means for deflecting the agitated material downwardly.

6. In a machine of the class described, a casing formed to dprovide a discharge chamber, means carrie by the casing and havmg a downwardly treating surface, a rotor having an upwardly facing surface in close non-contacting relation with the first named surface, 'a shaft for drivingthe rotor, tubular means above said surfaces for receiving material to be treated and conducting it to the surfaces, means arranged to rotate in a constant direction for agitating material, said agitating means being disposed in said tubular means, said tubular means having a restricted portion disposed above said agitating means and an enlarged portion below the restricted portion -f0r retaining material in the region: of the agitat ng means.

7. In a machine for treating liquids and solids in which the material is fed by gravfacing circular material ity, means supporting a pair of closely adjacent non-contacting surfaces including a rotor, means for ,turning the rotor at high speed, a tubular charging chamber having its inner surface substantially circularand terminatin at its lower edge adjacent one of said sur aces, a shaft extending upwardly from the rotor into the chamber, and abrupt projections carried by the shaft for agitating material in said chamber, the surface of the charging member having an arcuate inclined rib extendin above the projections whereby material circulated by the agitating means is urged downwardly toward the closely adjacent surfaces.

8. In a machine of the class described, a tubularv casing means, means in the casing for supporting a circular material treating surface, a rotor and means for driving it at high'speed, the rotor having a substantially planular surface in close non-contactingrelation to the stator surface, said surfaces being substantially equidistantly spaced, and

means including a spiral recess in one of the 1 material treating elements arranged to frictionally oppose the passage of material between the said surfaces. 4

9. In a mixing machine, separate means for supporting two generally planular closely adjacent surfaces and, means to rotate one surface past the other at high speed, means to supply material to be treated'between said surfaces and for conductin and discharging the treated material, one 0 said surfaces having a spirally formed recess arranged to frictionally oppose the passage of material between the surfaces to thereby prolong the treating operation.

10. In a mixing machine of the class. de-

' 46 scribed, a tubular casing open at the top to receive material to ,be mixed, mixing means associated therewith and disposed at the bottom of\t he casing and including a stator surface rigid with t e casing, and a rotor in close association with a stator surface, means below the-casing including a shaft and connections therefrom to the rotor for rapid rotation thereof, means projecting upwardly from the rotor into the casing, arranged to agitate material in the casin to preliminar- 11y disintegrate material befbre the same is passed between the rotor and stator surfaces,

and inclined means rigidly associated with the casing and spaced from the disintegrating means for causing the material to be deflected downwardly toward the rotor and Stator surfaces.

signature.

testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my GEORGE SOULE. 

